Google Android Phone

Google has begun distributing a patch to its Android mobile phone operating system, an early test for how nimbly the company can respond and how well the infrastructure works to distribute and install updates.

The phone’s only been on shelves for literally days but Google has already released a firmware update and now a security patch for the T-Mobile G1.

According to a report by CNET, the patch is for an issue with the on-board web browser which first came to light on 20 October.

Adds Bit Tech, “the flaw has already been fixed in the code for the open-source packages on which Android is based”, but Google had, for some reason, shipped out-of-date code with the mobile handset.

What this does mean for Android phone owners is that the flaw will be fixed quickly.

In fact, they can install the security package over the air, which is claimed to take just a few minutes, and doesn’t involve linking your mobile up to a computer and faffing with specialist software.

The T-Mobile G1 can now be unlocked. A site dubbed Unlock T-Mobile G1 offers to unlock your Android phone for a fee - a not very “open-source-thing” to do. The guys over at Android Site are still happy about the unlocking possiblity, even if it is not giving you all features. The unlocking requires $22.95 and sending your phones IMEI code to the unlockers. You will get an unlocking code in return that you need when you put in a new SIM card in your G1.

You can use the unlocked G1, but apparently you cannot log in into Gmail and other Google services rendering the G1 half useful as all data is in the G Cloud.

G1 users interested in unlocking their device will have to fork over the $23 and hope that it works. The Android Site reports, “After placing an order including your IMEI code you will receive an eight-digit unlock code for your device. After you receive your unlock code you insert a non-T-Mobile SIM card and the G1 will prompt for an unlock code, enter the unlock code provided to you and hit unlock. You will then know the device is unlocked with a notification that reads ‘Network Unlock Successful’, it is as simple as that.”

There is one big caveat. The G1 will be unlocked, but it will also be mostly unusable. The Android Site folks tested it out. As soon as they put in the new SIM, they were logged out of their Google accounts and were unable to log back in, even with the proper credentials. This means Gmail and the Android Market won’t be available once the G1 is unlocked.

T-Mobile has announced that HTC G1, the first Smartphone based on Google’s Android platform, will arrive in the UK on 30 October.

The phone was originally slated for a November release, but the revised date means UK customers keen to get their hands on Google’s assault on the mobile market can do so in just two weeks.

The G1 is going to be free on contract, which it is going to cost £40 per month, however included in the price is unlimited internet access, which means there will be nonstop internet surfing on the go for many users.

There are two price plans - Combi 35 which offers eight hundred minutes and unlimited text messaging or the Flext 40, which offers a mix of twelve hundred and fifty minutes, or two and half thousand text messages.

Manufacturered by HTC, the phone comes with a 3.2-megapixel camera, a 3.2-inch touchscreen display and the now-standard GPS. There is also a nice QWERTY keyboard. It weighs 158g, measures 117.7mm x 55.7mm x 26.5 mm.The phone comes with five hours of talk time or 130 hours in standby mode and is available in black or white. So far 25,000 people in the UK have registered their interest in the Googlephone with T-Mobile.

The G1 will go on sale on the 30th October.

T-Mobile G1 specs:

• Available in two colours - black and white
• GPS and compass
• HSDPA/HSUPA and Wi-Fi connectivity
• Three-megapixel camera
• MP3 music player
• Pre-installed 2 GB Micro SD memory card (device supports up to an 8 GB card)
• Bluetooth-enabled
• Up to 130 hours standby and up to 5 hours talk time
• Dimensions: 117.7 x 55.7 x 26.5 mm
• Weight: 158g

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Motorola to unveil new Android Social Networking Smartphon,  The mobile versions of MySpace, Facebook, and Twitter on a Motorola Android based cell phone.

Google’s Android mobile and wireless software is creating quite a stir, spurring Motorola to hire an application development expert who can work on a special gadget.
That gadget is an Android-based smart phone optimized for social networks such as Facebook or MySpace. The move comes as social network use via mobile phones is growing.

Motorola appears to be taking quite a different approach compared to the T-Mobile G1. The Android-based handset will actually act as a mobile hub catering to all your social networking needs. It will give you complete and really quick access to the ever so popular Twitter, Flickr, Wordpress blogs, Facebook, Digg, and much more.

An eagle-eyed reader of The Android Guys blog spotted this job posting and saw fit to e-mail it on Over The Air’s favorite blog concerning all things Android. It reads:

“As a Senior Staff Interaction Designer, you will be responsible for leading and actively participating in the concept, design, documentation and development of user interfaces for our mobile products including our new Android Social Networking SmartPhone. You’ll lead brainstorming and work sessions, usability and innovation reviews and other forums of design development. In addition to your primary responsibility in the delivery of great design, you will also be expected to mentor other designers, bringing your personal strengths to the rest of the team.”

It’s one thing for Motorola to develop a phone based on Android. Given its membership status in the Open Handset Alliance, it is almost expected. But to call it a Social Networking Smartphone is something else altogether.

Speculation that Motorola would be developing an Android phone was based on the fact that the company is a member of the Open Handset Alliance. T-Mobile USA is launching the HTC G1, running on Android, on Oct. 22.

Nokia took a few swings at Apple’s iPhone and iTunes service today, with a one-two punch consisting of its new touchscreen-based, music-centric smartphone and a free music download service.

Nokia said at an analyst and media event in London it would start selling the phone shortly, pricing it at 279 euros ($395) excluding subsidies and taxes, which it said was roughly half the price of the other main touch-screen phones on the market.

The Nokia 5800 XpressMusic, which industry watchers had believed would be called the Tube, includes a number of advancements designed to help Nokia claim a larger share of the market for high-end, feature-packed phone market — currently buzzing about both Apple’s iPhone and the recent debut of T-Mobile’s HTC G1, which is powered by the Google-backed Android operating system.

For one thing, the 5800 XpressMusic is Nokia’s first mass-market device with a touchscreen — similar to both the iPhone and the G1. It also provides a drop-down menu for easy access to music, as well as one-touch access to a Web browser and other applications. The user interface also provides a widescreen display — another feature similar to the iPhone’s and G1’s designs.

HTC G1 will use T-Mobile’s Mobile Jukebox initially

Early adopters of T-Mobile’s G1 Google Android phone are likely to have to contend with two separate music download services. The UK version of the Amazon MP3 music download service, which comes preinstalled on the G1, won’t be ready for launch when the G1 goes on-sale here next month, according to sources.

Last week, T-Mobile announced that will be the first mobile phone operator to launch a handset based on Google’s Android platform. The mobile phone operator will put the first T-Mobile G1 Google phones on-sale in the US from 22 October, with the UK close behind. read[...]

First VoIP Application for Roaming and International Calls on Google Android Platform.

VOXOFON, the internet telephony service offering the widest range of options for low-cost international calling, has become the first VoIP company to provide service for the new Android platform built by the Open Handset Alliance. The new service, which offers transparent cost optimization for roaming and international calls, will be available for use on Android phones when they become available later this year.

“The VOXOFON application on an Android phone will help users save money on international calls without any extra steps on their part.  They can simply place calls on the phone as usual, using the phone’s address book or keypad, and VOXOFON will just sit in the background and re-route the international calls. It’s the perfect add-on for anybody calling or traveling abroad.”  - Alexey Goloshubin, president and CEO

Beginning at 1.3 cents per minute, with no additional fees, VOXOFON international calling services allow customers to call using their computer, their land line, their cell phone or a smart phone. The company already offers an iPhone web application with a familiar user interface and a way to manage contacts, with no downloading or installation.

For calls from a PC, there is no need to download any special software, and VOXOFON works on both Windows and Linux systems with Java runtime installed. For calling card users, VOXOFON customers can use their accounts as virtual calling cards. And for customers without access to a computer, VOXOFON even offers local phone numbers in 54 countries, allowing customers to make international calls while paying the local rate. All VOXOFON services are available under a single account, providing customers with the flexibility to use the service they find most convenient.

Vodafone may be wary of Google’s foray into mobile phones, with the latter having no plans to bring the first Google Android powered handset, the 3G T-Mobile G1, into New Zealand.

But Parallel Imported Ltd – the scourge of official distributors or the champion of pushing new technology into the country, depending on your point of view – is keen to slake Kiwis’ thirst for Android.

Managing Director Chris Honore says he looking at brining the HTC Dream (HTC G1  without badging from its US carrier T-Mobile) into New Zealand. The likely release date would be sometime after the G1’s October 22 launch in the US. read[...]

SanDisk Corporation today announced it is bringing to market its 16GB microSDHC mobile memory cards - the world’s largest removable storage capacity for mobile phones. Best Buy Mobile and Verizon Wireless stores are the first major retail outlets in the United States to carry the 16GB capacity.

“We have completed tests, and the new SanDisk 16GB card will run on the current version of Google’s Android Phone.  No new firmware required.” -Google Spokesperson

Even though Google said that T-Mobile G1 only supports up to an 8GB microSDHC card, with future support for the 16GB version after a firmware upgrade, that’s not the case.  We just got confirmation from Google spokesperson that the current version of Android can handle the new SanDisk 16GB card right out of the box.

SanDisk’s 16GB microSDHC card has an MSRP of $99.99 and will be available at Best Buy Mobile stores in October and Verizon Wireless stores in November - the only major retailers in the United States to carry this mobile storage capacity in 2008.

MicroSD cards are designed for slot-equipped legacy mobile phones and can hold a maximum capacity of 2GB. Today’s microSDHC cards are available in 4GB, 8GB and now 16GB, are ideal for newer mobile phone models, most of which are compatible with these higher capacity cards. SanDisk’s 16GB mobile memory cards come with a five-year limited warranty.

Buy SanDisk 16GB microSDHC Card (Amazon.com)